What Are Examples of Employee Relations?
Improving employee relations is a key focus for many companies. In this article, 12 professionals, ranging from CEOs to HR officers, share their unique strategies. From hosting virtual conferences and workshops to providing career development opportunities, discover the diverse ways these leaders have enhanced relations within their teams.
- Host Virtual Conferences and Workshops
- Initiate a Recognition and Rewards Program
- Foster Open Communication and Discussion
- Nurture Relationships from the Hiring Phase
- Recruit for Cultural Fit
- Introduce “Let’s Talk” Sessions
- Promote Transparency and Open Dialogue
- Schedule Weekly or Monthly Challenges
- Implement a “Coffee Talk” Initiative
- Create a Safe Work Environment
- Offer Flexible Work Arrangements
- Provide Career Development Opportunities
Host Virtual Conferences and Workshops
One way that I have improved employee relations at my company is by hosting virtual conferences and workshops. By providing a forum in which experts can share their expertise with coworkers, it creates an environment of collaboration and trust. This increases employee morale and engagement, as employees are empowered to learn new skills from colleagues they might never have connected with otherwise.
This example serves to create an inclusive workplace by bonding individuals over shared understandings of concepts instead of relying on traditional work relationships such as linear leadership structures.
Michael Alexis, CEO, virtualteambuilding.com
Initiate a Recognition and Rewards Program
What worked for us was initiating a recognition and rewards program to bolster employee relations. We understand the importance of acknowledging and appreciating the hard work and contributions of our team members.
Through this program, we encouraged managers and peers to regularly recognize and celebrate outstanding achievements, milestones, and exemplary performance. This recognition took various forms, such as public appreciation emails, personalized notes, or even small tokens of gratitude.
By implementing this program, we not only boosted employee morale and motivation but also fostered a sense of camaraderie and appreciation within the workplace. This initiative positively impacted employee relations by promoting a culture of recognition and support, where individuals felt valued, encouraged, and inspired to excel in their roles.
Harry Morton, Founder, Lower Street
Foster Open Communication and Discussion
Open communication is very important when trying to foster a more collaborative work environment. However, due to personal differences, employees will always have differing opinions on things.
Use this to encourage healthy discussion among employees where they can share their thoughts and points of their opinion. Since they get to express their thoughts and listen to the points of the other side, they get to understand the whole picture. This open and healthy communication fosters better teamwork and collaboration, thereby improving employee relations too.
Steven Mostyn, Chief Human Resources Officer, Management.org
Nurture Relationships from the Hiring Phase
Start nurturing these relationships from day one. This initiative begins even before the employee’s first day at the office; the process commences during the hiring phase. We have emphasized maintaining regular communication with potential candidates, setting the tone for our work culture and expectations right from the start.
At Fintalent, we have developed a comprehensive and strategic employee orientation process to ensure new hires are welcomed and understand the role they play in the company. This approach provides them with the tools and understanding needed to be successful in their roles and feel comfortable within our team.
As a result, we have noticed improved employee engagement and retention, reaffirming that employee relations must be cultivated intentionally and strategically over time.
Tobias Liebsch, Co-founder, Fintalent.io
Recruit for Cultural Fit
One of the biggest sources of friction in employee relations comes from having personality clashes and teams that don’t have the same viewpoint on what we are trying to achieve and how.
Rather than spending time mediating and improving team dynamics, I find a more front-loaded approach works better—namely focusing on recruiting personality matches that buy into the company’s ways of working and ideology. It makes solving conflicts far simpler, as we are generally all on the same page.
Dragos Badea, CEO, Yarooms
Introducing “Let’s Talk” Sessions
One effective strategy we’ve implemented at Authors On Mission to improve employee relations is the introduction of “Let’s Talk” sessions. These are monthly, agenda-free meetings where employees from all organizational levels share their thoughts, ideas, and concerns openly.
These sessions serve as a platform for discussing a broad array of topics—from daily operational issues to innovative ideas for services or personal development. They’ve become a valuable source of innovative solutions and problem-solving strategies, often revealing insights that may have otherwise gone unnoticed.
Crucially, “Let’s Talk” sessions have fostered a culture of respect and understanding. Employees feel heard and appreciated, which in turn has improved relations, boosted morale, and enhanced overall job satisfaction.
Vikrant Shaurya, CEO, Authors On Mission
Promote Transparency and Open Dialogue
Communicate, communicate…and communicate some more! Be as transparent as possible. I have found a weekly recap email to my entire team to be very effective in keeping employees informed without asking everyone to sit through a boring meeting. Also, having managers designate time for office hours and providing time for open forum dialogue helps to build trust among employees. Finally, managers must identify and handle issues among employees directly and quickly. Allowing problems to fester will only cause more drama and decrease morale down the road.
As one business owner client used to say, “If you don’t tell them what is happening in the business, they (employees) will make it up.” This is absolutely true of everything from finances to employee status to whether the company is up for sale. Stay in control of the narrative to improve the employee experience.
Christie Engler, Director of People and Culture, Willory
Schedule Weekly or Monthly Challenges
One way to improve employees’ motivation and to keep them enthusiastic about the work they do on their own and as part of a team is to introduce weekly or monthly “challenges” for fitness, self-care or just general work that fits into their day-to-day work.
I find that making the challenges more personal and letting employees have autonomy–for example, setting the goal as “self-care,” but letting them individually decide what that means to them–makes them more invested in getting the challenges done.
Manasvini Krishna, Founder, Boss as a Service
Implement a “Coffee Talk” Initiative
One example of how I improved employee relations at my company was by implementing a regular communication channel called “Coffee Talk.” This initiative involved hosting informal coffee sessions where employees could freely share their thoughts, concerns, and ideas.
By actively listening to and addressing their feedback, we demonstrated that their voices mattered and their contributions were valued. This led to increased trust and engagement among employees.
Furthermore, organizing team-building activities, recognition programs, and fostering a positive work culture through inclusive practices helped to create a sense of belonging and foster stronger relationships among team members.
Overall, by prioritizing open communication, recognition, and fostering a positive work environment, we significantly improved employee relations, resulting in higher job satisfaction, collaboration, and productivity.
Viraj Lele, Industrial Engineer, DHL Supply Chain
Create a Safe Work Environment
The best way to improve employee relations at your company is to make everyone feel safe and comfortable. This means that you have to create and foster a healthy working environment where employees are not afraid to voice their thoughts.
This will encourage better connections as healthy discussions among employees happen. Empowering a healthy boundary between work and personal life will also foster better engagement within the team as work-related issues are discussed more during working hours. Hence, ensuring that employees’ tasks are doable within working hours is very important.
Jeff Moore, CEO, Everyday Power
Offer Flexible Work Arrangements
This has long been the answer to maintaining good employee relations in the tech industry, and my company has been no different. I find that letting employees decide whether they will be in the office, hybrid or fully remote gives them the ability to stay cool and flexible, and groups like-minded people in similar circumstances, which tends to reduce the amount of conflicts.
Kate Kandefer, CEO, SEOwind
Provide Career Development Opportunities
Offering career development opportunities is a powerful way to improve employee relations within a company. Employees feel valued and appreciated when they have access to programs and resources that support their professional growth.
By investing in their development, we demonstrate our commitment to their success and show that we recognize their potential. Career development initiatives can include training programs, workshops, mentorship opportunities, and the provision of resources for continuous learning. These efforts enhance employees’ skills and knowledge and contribute to their job satisfaction and motivation. When employees see that their company is invested in their long-term success, they are more likely to be engaged, loyal, and committed to their work.
By offering career development, we foster a positive and supportive work environment that promotes growth, learning, and stronger employee relations.
Saneem Ahearn, VP of Marketing, Colorescience